


aloha nui loa.

by rannas



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Walks On The Beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 10:25:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16721562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rannas/pseuds/rannas
Summary: A walk on the Hawaiian beach turns out to be exactly what Akira and Yusuke needed.





	aloha nui loa.

**Author's Note:**

> Title translates to “very much love” in Hawaiian.

 

The Hawaiian sun and surf were a lot more exhausting than he had anticipated. Akira had thought he had built up his endurance in the Metaverse but clearly not enough. So he took advantage of the hotel, told everyone he’d see them later and took a nice afternoon catnap (a term to which he was sure Morgana would find offensive).  He was so tired he didn’t even bother changing out of his swimsuit or getting under a blanket. But he did set an hour alarm, he wasn’t about to sleep away the whole trip.

He woke up to his alarm and the surprise of quite a few new notifications. Makoto wanted a patrolling buddy. Ann wanted to go find desserts. Ryuji was attempting to rope him into some sort of girlfriend finding stunt. The usual by any accounts. He also had a text from Futaba reminding him to buy her a souvenir. Well more accurately that she knew he hadn’t yet. He was not quite ready to unpack the question of how exactly she knew that so he moved on. He also had a text from Hifumi Togo, that was new.  He lingered on Hifumi’s message. As much as he did want to get to know her a little more, however he still had not dealt with her mother in Mementos yet. It would be better after that.

But her text did remind him of something. Kosei was here, and so was Yusuke. It was likely that he was spending his free time alone, Yusuke had offhandedly commented on his lack of friends at his school several times. And everytime he did, Akira never knew exactly what to say. He’d exchange looks with Ryuji and Ann and make sure to spend time with him as soon as possible. He’d always seem surprised and pleased whenever Akira sought him out to hang out.

 **Kurusu Akira** : Are you busy?

 **Kitagawa Yusuke** : I was planning on sketching by the beach, do you need me?

 **Kurusu Akira** : Can I join you?

 **Kitagawa Yusuke** : That would be delightful.  

He texted the 3 girls, apologizing and telling them he had plans. It was a bit of a lie he guessed. Well not really, he did have plans But they would be fine. Ann and Makoto would definitely not mind and he had a feeling they would probably just end up hanging out together. As for Hifumi, he had plenty of time to make it up to her. As for Ryuji, he just texted back ‘ let me know how that goes’. He held off on the eye roll emoji, but he was sure he’d hear all about it later. And that would be far more enjoyable than experiencing the inevitable rejection first hand.

 **Kitagawa Yusuke** : Do I need to change out of my swimsuit?

 **Kurusu Akira** : Nope- still have mine on.

 **Kitagawa Yusuke** : Very well- where should we meet?

 **Kurusu Akira** : You know that exit near the beach in the back?

 **Kitagawa Yusuke** : I believe so. I will head there now.

Yusuke looked up and Akira wasn’t sure if he was just making it up or a cloud just moved away from the sun but he could swear Yusuke’s dark eyes had just brightened when he saw him. He had the same outfit he wore at their other beach trip, a small sketchbook and pencils sticking out of the pocket of his white hoodie. “Ready?”

“Absolutely. Although I must admit I am rather famished.”

“Is this your way of telling me you spent all your money on lobsters again?” Akira smirked, not quite ready to let him live that one down. Makoto had of course handled it back then and forced him return them. Although watching the man who sold the lobsters crumble under the forceful gaze of a teenage girl was a totally worthwhile end to the adventure. And honestly, it was kind of charming Yusuke followed his passions like that, as odd as they were.

“Of course not! Makoto has been quite insistent on me budgeting better so I have been stockpiling all my funds for the end of the trip so I do not run out of funds. I even skipped lunch today to ensure I do not run out.”

Akira wanted to say something about how this somehow still ended with him skipping meals. But he didn’t bother, Yusuke looked too proud of himself. For someone as intelligent as Yusuke, he really was an absolute disaster of a person when it came to money. And despite his budgeting attempts, Akira already decided he would pay for whatever they got.

“I saw some food stands when I was walking earlier.” Yusuke nodded and they started walking towards the beach. He didn’t remember what they all had, since they had all eaten burgers before seeing them and weren’t hungry at the time. Now however, he was starving. Just probably not as much as Yusuke was.

It did not take long until they came up to one with a delicious smell surrounding it.

“Ah, garlic shrimp. Now that would be a truly authentic Hawaiian experience. A perfect way to inspire me to capture the beauty of this island.” Yusuke smiled and Akira felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the Hawaiian sun.

“Sure. Smells good.”

They approached the cart and Akira ordered both of their food and pulled out money for them both. A regular for him and the large one for Yusuke. Hopefully, this shrimp was as good as it smelled.

“Akira, you don’t have to…” Yusuke protested but Akira did not relent. 

“I want to.”

“You two from Japan?” They looked over to the cart owner. Lots of the locals English was too quick for them to understand but this was easy enough.

“Yes, we are.” Yusuke responded very obviously still focused on the food.

“How ‘bout them Phantom Thieves huh? The guys that steal hearts!”

Yusuke’s expression shifted. “You’ve heard of them?”

“Heard about them on the news. Pretty big deal in Japan huh?”

Yusuke did not respond, only gave a noncommittal grunt and curt nod.  

“Say if you run into them, tell them I say hello. And ask ‘em to change people’s hearts so everyone love shrimp!” He handed them their food, to which Yusuke gave a terse thank you and immediately strode over a good enough distance away from the cart owner. Not that it mattered, he was already chatting away with the next customer in English too fast for Akira  to understand. They sat on a bench with their heaping piles of shrimp facing the beach.

“You don’t seemed to pleased about hearing about the Phantom Thieves.” No point beating around the bush or ignoring the obvious tension that the innocent cart owner had created.  
“I will admit it is nice to hear that our efforts are having a positive effect. That is our intended goal after all. But something about this level of popularity troubles me.” Yusuke ruminates on this statement by eating a few shrimp.

“How so?”

“Fame can be a terrible thing.” Akira knew he was thinking about his former mentor. He’d seen that icy look before. It wasn’t hatred or anger, more pain and confusion. His fist was clenched around his chopsticks.

“Do you regret it? Joining us?” This whole topic a little heavier than what he expected from an evening walk on the beach. But if the price of this fame was Yusuke’s obvious discomfort- he questioned if it was really worth it. And he felt a little guilty for enjoying the fame, for relishing in being known (although as an alter ego) for something other than being a juvenile delinquent.

“Of course not.” Yusuke’s expression was as soft as his tone, “it’s as I’ve told you Akira- you all saved me. I may be a misfit even amongst our band of social pariahs but I am certain this is where I belong.”Akira smiled it return but Yusuke continued. “And I trust _you_ to never let fame lead me astray.” His breath caught at that statement, and he really had nothing to say. So he leaned and bumped shoulders before they both smiled and dug into their shrimp.

Yusuke finished first despite having the larger portion, not surprising Akira in the slightest. Despite the speed he at, he had not a single drop on his clothes or face, also extremely unsurprising. Akira finished his share as he listened to Yusuke discuss the complex flavor profiles and expert subtle sweetness contrasting with the garlic. Akira found his passionate asides so refreshing, he didn’t even feel the need to say anything, just nod in agreement.

Once they finished and threw away their trash,, they started walking down the beach. They took a slow pace as Yusuke kept pausing to frame the sun as it slowly approached the surf. He didn’t mind though. In fact Akira found himself mostly just watching Yusuke and the subtle changes in his expressions as he looked around. A few times they made eye contact but he didn’t feel the need to look away. The blush on his cheeks could easily be written off as sunburn and Yusuke never seemed bother just gave him a small smile and carried on.

Akira wondered what it all meant. Well not everything, he wanted to put all of the big questions on hold for the moment. The mental shutdowns, their next target… all of that could wait until they got back. For now he was just watching Yusuke carefully, and wondering just what was going on between them. He had never completely made the jump that his feelings for Yusuke may be more than friendly. Maybe it something about this place that made him realize that warm feeling he got around him actually meant something. After all, friends did not think about what it to feel like to intertwine his fingers with Yusuke’s pale slender ones. And that was definitely a thought in his mind right now. Was Yusuke’s skin cool to the touch like he imagined? Maybe he just assumed because of the whole ice thing with Goemon. Perhaps he'd figure out a way to find out on their little walk. 

They continued to walk around taking in the sights and making idle chat as they did. Yusuke had clearly done some research somehow on Hawaii at some point as he was able to spout off facts like some sort of tour guide. But still a rest in the shade was greatly needed, they had reached the end of the public beach. In front of them was this perfect little area with no one around and bench underneath some palm trees. It did involve passing a “Do Not Cross” ribbon but it was easy to convince Yusuke once he saw the empty stretch of beach perfect for capturing the sun reflecting into the ocean. Surely, it was nothing too dangerous. And if they got caught, he could just pull the foreigner card. It's not like the police here knew he could read that tape.

Akira taking a chance and sitting a little closer, both on one side of the bench. Yusuke said nothing but Akira felt a  jolt of something every time their knees touched. Yep. There was something, but whether Yusuke noticed was an entirely different story. His thoughts always in an unexpected place, maybe to him this was all nothing. Akira had always been the one confessed to, he didn’t really know how to do so himself.

“How kind of fate for me to end up here. I am sure L.A. is stunning but being here with you transcends whatever California had to offer me in terms of artistic stimulation.”

“I’m glad you’re here too.” Akira did not bother with whatever fancy words Yusuke knew, but he was honest. This trip would not have felt complete without him, even if whatever he was feeling wasn’t returned. This was fine.

“You don’t really think I am an omen of rain right?” Yusuke frowned and Akira had to hold back from laughing. He had forgotten all about that conversation with everyone earlier.

“They were just joking Yusuke.”

Yusuke responded playfully, “Foxes are connected to sunshowers after all. A trick played when it looks sunny but still manages to rain. ”  Of course he wasn’t actually concerned. Yusuke never really let what other people said get to him. He admired that.

Yusuke pulled out his notepad and pen and Akira leaned back, ready to relax in the relative peace of the moment and listen to the waves and sound of pencil on paper. But Yusuke did not pick up the pencil. Rather he was fiddling with the edge of an empty sheet, staring out as the sky grew steadily more orange. The sun was still a bit above the horizon.

“I hope I am not overstepping but… I really am fond of you Akira.”

“Huh?” He looked over but Yusuke's gaze was still pointedly fixed on the horizon. He looked… nervous. He’d never seen Yusuke nervous about anything.

“I think that in our time together I may have developed more intense feelings than a mere friendship.” Akira just stared at him, mouth opened rather stupidly, unable to say anything.

“I apologize. I did not mean to offend. I suppose that was rather weird of me to say out of the blue like that. I can return to my room now. ” Yusuke stood up as Akira sat there still trying to take in the fact that Yusuke actually just confessed. 

“No.” His voice came out a bit too forceful, too much like his Joker voice in the Metaverse. “Don’t leave. It’s not weird. I was just surprised.” He pulled at the back of his hoodie and Yusuke came back down on the bench, somehow even closer than before.

“Oh.” It was hard to tell with that hood but he could swear he could see red on his cheeks.

“I feel the same.”

“You do?” Yusuke' voice was breathy.

Akira grabbed both Yusuke’s hands, and turned the best he could on the bench, finally getting Yusuke to look at him, “I’m really,  really glad I met you Yusuke. I like you.” It wasn’t the same as starting the confession, but it was the first time he’d wanted to accept out of more than obligation. It was the first confession he could actually echo the same feeling.

Yusuke chuckled deeply, and Akira felt his stomach turn in the best possible way as he saw Yusuke lean in and he could see his pale skin and long lashes and suddenly felt his lips on his own. _How bold of him_. And once again he was really glad they had trespassed on this little stretch of beach, this was worth risking his probation for. 

It was a garlicky kiss, thanks to the shrimp, but nice nonetheless. Yusuke’s lips were cool and soft. Akira dropped his hands to move his own to run them through Yusuke’s hair. Yusuke hummed into the kiss and he was 100% sure ever nerve in his body was on fire. A voice in the back of his head screaming to push Yusuke down on the bench, the thought of pressing him down and deepening this kiss was intoxicating. Luckily, the logical part of his brain kicked in and stopped him before adding getting arrested in a foreign country for public indecency (on top of the trespassing) because of some impulsive teenage hormones. This contained fire was good enough and Yusuke’s fingers dancing around the bare skin on his back pleased the hormonal devil that wanted to take this too far too quick. It was more intense than any first kiss had a right to be, but it Yusuke after all- intensity was to be expected with anything he did.

The sound of a phone broke them from their trance and Akira reluctantly pulled away and reached into his pocket to check it. Unfortunate, but probably for the best. Too much longer would have put them dangerously close to some very uncomfortable territory far too soon.

 **Yuuki Mishima** : Hey! Where are you? Ryuji and I were looking for you, he thinks we’ll have a better chance with girls if you’re with us!

“Oh it’s just Mishima wondering where I am.”

Yusuke frowns but does not vocalize the disgust he knew he had for Mishima. After all, he had called him eccentric the last time they had interacted. Mishima was like that, he meant well most of the time but also did some stuff that made him want to pull his hair out at times. Why Ryuji picked him as a wingman… Akira had no idea. Ann would have been a much better choice.

“Do you need to go back?” Yusuke’s dark eyes looked sad and  his voice calculated as if trying not to sound needy.

 **Kurusu Akira** :  Sorry. Busy. Be back late.

He types quickly in reply. He also puts his phone on silent. Mishima and Ryuji’s tales of their most likely failed exploits could come later. Right now, he had Yusuke and an entire stretch of forbidden beach all to themselves.

Akira shrugs and flashes his most dangerous smile, “Nope. I have better things to do.”

“Akira…” A blush creeping across Yusuke’s face in response.

“Did you put sunscreen on?”

“Of course. Sun safety is incredibly important. I purchased the highest SPF I could find.” Why was that smug expression so irresistible?

“So that means you can take that jacket off right?” Akira attempted to keep his voice as innocent as possible.

“Why would I do that?”

“We’re going to get in the water.”

“But-- where will I put my jacket?”

“On the beach…..”

“What if it is stolen?”

Akira had to raise his brows at that one, there was literally no one near them. Everyone was off on the not off limits beach a good distance away. “I’ll buy you a new one.”

“How reckless….” Yusuke frowned, still looking reluctant. 

Akira leans in and whispers in his ear, “We’re Phantom Thieves, we can afford to be a little reckless.” Akira reaches over and pulls down the zipper on the hoodie with a devilish grin.

Yusuke’s  expressions changed rapidly from dejected to an amused blush. Yusuke chuckles and relents. He pulled off his jacket and folding it delicately before setting in down on the sand. Both boys stuck their cell phones inside the jacket before heading to the water. Yusuke carefully tucking his sketchbook inside before joining him.

When they finally reach the water, Yusuke begins looking out to the horizon. The sun had finally hit the water and the surf was an explosion of oranges and pinks reflecting back at them . It was beautiful but Akira was more focused on watching Yusuke. The graceful  way his body moved, the lean lines of muscle he couldn’t see before….Pale skin he would love to slowly trace his fingers across.

Yusuke looks back and tilts his head, “Is there a problem?”

Akira runs his fingers through his hair with a grin, maybe he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought. “Nope.” But Yusuke is still looking at him quizzically so he relents. “You’re kinda nice to look at it.”

“And you are incorrigible..” Yusuke tilted his head and smiled, and something about this lighting made him even more pretty than usual. His dark hair and delicate features shining in the sun. He’d always known Yusuke was attractive, that was kind of obvious. But for some reason, in this moment that fact was hitting him with the force of a subway train.

“That’s what I hear.” And he closed the distance between them, the water up to their chests now. The soft waves of low tide crashing around them. They kissed again . This time Akira didn’t feel that fire pushing him to take it too far. In fact, Akira wanted nothing more than this moment to go as slow as possible so it could last forever. It was like being in their own painting full of colors and light. But better because he could smell the salt water and feel Yusuke’s lips moving with his own. As talented as Yusuke was, no painting could ever capture all of this.

He wanted to protest when Yusuke pulled away, but the feel of his thumb sweeping across his cheekbone stops him. “We should go dry off.” He was right of course. The waves were getting larger, and the sky was getting dark. They walked back hand in hand despite the added difficulty walking away from the pull with the sand pulling at their feet. Thier few stumbles only resulting in laughter.

They return to their bench to dry off before walking back, a tiny but of light from the day still remaining. It’s difficult to put his head on Yusuke’s shoulder while he’s busy framing the moon and stars above the ocean but he manages it nonetheless.

\-----

The next morning they were all sitting in the lobby, complaining how quickly the trip had gone. Ann concerned she had not tried all the local desserts. And Ryuji still bemoaning the lack of success he and Mishima had in picking up girls last night. A plight that neither Makoto or Ann seemed very sympathetic for.

“Well what about you Akira, did you enjoy your last night?” Makoto asked.For a second he felt bad about blowing her off again, but she had just said her and Ann had spent the night trying ever dessert they could find. He felt a lot better knowing they too had a fun last night. Just probably not as fun as his was.

“Oh yeah… Mishima said you got back real late! Were you with a _girl_ ?” Ryuji teases throwing his arm around him and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.  


“Nope. I was not with a girl. ” But he does look over at Yusuke and sees a shadowed smirk on his face. Secretive and smug, which Akira had to bite his lip to stop himself from smiling widely back. That warm tingly feeling from last night returning with a vengeance. In good time, they could tell the others. Figure out just what they were now. But for now, having their own little Hawaiian secret was much better.

Luckily before Ryuji or Ann could make any comment on him looking weird, they all got multiple notifications on their phones. Looking at his, he was pretty sure they had all gotten the exact same messages.

 **Sakura Futaba** : why

 **Sakura Futaba** : has

 **Sakura Futaba** : no

 **Sakura Futaba** : one

 **Sakura Futaba** : bought

 **Sakura Futaba** : me

 **Sakura Futaba** : a

 **Sakura Futaba** : souvenir

 **Sakura Futaba** : ఠ ͟ಠ

 

“For real? She’s tracking us here too? What the hell?” Ryuji stared at the phone wide eyed.

Makoto sighed. Ann suggested they all hit the hotel gift shop before heading out and the whole group followed. As he turned to follow, he heard his phone buzz again.

 **Sakura Futaba** : really… you and inari?

 **Sakura Futaba** : (￣x￣;) gross

Yeah. He was going to need to have a word with her about this whole monitoring them all the time thing. Although, he had a feeling a few staged sappy conversations with Yusuke would be plenty to get her to quit. But that was for later. For now, he had a whole flight back to Japan to replay the events from last night over and over in his head.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still salty Atlus had the nerve to have Kosei go to Hawaii for poorly explained reasons and then didn't allow us to take Yusuke on a sunset walk on the beach. So here's the beach date we deserved.


End file.
